1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for storing sleeves for rotary printing machines and to a method for storing sleeves for rotary printing machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a result of the increasingly important use of sleeves for rotary printing machines, in particular of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves for rotary offset printing machines, the sleeves are identified and registered by data-based means.
DE 297 20 298 U1 discloses a printing sleeve for flexographic printing machines in whose envelope surface an electronic memory module configured as a transponder is introduced for the purpose of identification.
Using this memory module, an electronically stored identifier individual to the sleeve is possible, this identifier being, for example, a consecutive serial number, manufacturing data, dimensions and materials of the sleeve and/or the pattern applied to the sleeve by the customer or information about the end customer.
Furthermore, the abovementioned information in the electronic memory module can, at least to some extent, be over-written and updated.
This information is over-written and interrogated with the machine at a standstill or on printing sleeves taken out of the machine.
In printing works there is a large number of identified sleeves, which are registered by data-based means and, following one or more printing operations, are put into storage again.
In order to minimize costs, there is in printing works a demand to use sleeves, in particular rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, which have already been used and are suitable for the respective printing operation. However, an exact search for such a xe2x80x9cusedxe2x80x9d sleeve, that is to say one already used once or repeatedly, which is suitable for the printing operation in the store is tiresome and time-consuming.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system for managing sleeves for rotary printing machines which permits a simple search for an identified sleeve designed as a rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
According to the invention, the system includes a storage apparatus for storing the sleeves when not in use in the printing machine; a main electronic memory device into which characteristic data for each sleeve can be entered, stored, and managed; means for introducing the sleeves into the storage apparatus; means for reading the characteristic data into the memory device as one of the sleeves is introduced into the storage apparatus; and means for removing one of the sleeves from the storage apparatus in accordance with predefined data and the characteristic data.
A significant advantage is that, by using the system, the use of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves can be optimized. As a result of the specific use, a printing works will always have a plurality of sets of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves in use, so that the specific use of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, in particular in the case of more than one printing machine, is ensured by means of the apparatus.
Furthermore, the organized stock-keeping of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves is provided by the apparatus.
The apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves is equipped with a memory device.
In this memory device, information and characteristic data to be managed are stored both permanently and also for a short time.
Permanent in the memory device are information and characteristic data such as the identity number of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, the description of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, test data, manufacturing data, delivery data and the date of first and last use. At the end of the service life, the reason for failure and the total number of rolling revolutions are stored. The test data are to be understood to be physical and geometric test values, such as stiffness values, total thickness and material thickness of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, and also diameter and roughness information.
In the memory device for a short time are the information and characteristic data such as production history information and damage status. The damage status means the type and the extent of damage to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
The aforementioned production history information is, for example, data and information about the number of wash cycles, web width, grammage, net number of copies, average rotational speed.
Optimum use of the system according to the invention for managing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves is achieved in particular when rubber-covered cylinder sleeves equipped with memory devices are used. A rubber-covered cylinder sleeve of this type with a memory device is described in the following description of the examples.
The significant factor is that when rubber-covered cylinder sleeves with a memory device are used, it is possible to store, over-write and interrogate characteristic data, these are the information and data identifying the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve individually during the printing operation by using data transmission devices in a rotary printing machine or via a data transmission device connected to the memory device integrated in the storage apparatus.
Likewise, the information and characteristic data to be managed permanently and for a short time and already mentioned above can be stored in the memory device of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
It is significant that additional information, such as function-relevant characteristics, the number of rolling revolutions, production information, the times of the construction and the respective uses and/or the decommissioning, the cause of the failure, reusability, etc., can be applied to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve directly in the form of electronic characteristic data. Thus, this aforementioned information can be transmitted to the printing machine and/or to the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves via the memory device of the respective rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
By means of these characteristic data, it is possible to determine the causes of failure and, in this way, a basis for the assessment of the individual fabrication methods or other manufacturing data is made possible.
A further significant advantage is that, by means of these characteristic data, statements about the service life or the behavior of a rubber-covered cylinder sleeve can be made during its running in one or more printing machines, that is to say over the entire period of the use of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve in the printing works.
Thus, by means of the information and characteristic data stored both in the memory device of the apparatus according to the invention, and the information and characteristic data applied to the memory device of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, the preconditions are provided for the cost-aware use of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, for example the management and the handling of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, that is to say relating to the data-based management and the organized stock-keeping of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
Since no adequate identification is possible on the inner side of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, on account of the abrasion, nor on the outer side of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, because of the contamination by ink, use is advantageously made of a non-contacting reading and writing method both in the printing machine and in the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves.
It is significant that the electronic memory device belonging to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve is configured, for example, as a transponder. However, the electronic memory device can also be, for example, a magnetic strip, a memory chip or the like.
It is advantageous that the transponder or any other memory device can also be fitted and arranged subsequently on rubber-covered cylinder sleeves that are already present at a customer""s premises.
In this case, the transponder is not necessarily arranged on the rubber-coated area of the support sleeve. The transponder can, for example, be arranged at the ends of the rubber layer, the transponder being adhesively bonded on using a seal designed as an adhesive and which is used to seal the ends of the rubber layer. The transponder or any other memory device can be fitted at any desired location of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, it being possible for the transponder to be fixed to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve by a fixing means designed as an adhesive tape. Advantageously, the transponder or the memory device can be designed to be self-adhesive or self-fixing.
Thus, adhesive bonding of the transponder or any other memory device in the printing works is possible.
The transponder or the memory device can (not specifically illustrated) also be embedded in the metal layer of the support sleeve of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve or arranged and/or fixed on this metal layer.
It is also possible for an additional element or additional means or an extension of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve to be arranged and fixed on the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, on which the transponder or the memory device can be arranged and/or fixed.
In order not to cause any impairment to the printed image, the transponder is provided with a low overall height. This overall height lies in a range between 0.001 mm and 2.0 mm.
The transponder is advantageously not placed on the surface of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve but let into the rubber layer or structure of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, that is to say for example is surrounded on all sides by the rubber layer, so that optimum protection for the memory device, configured as a transponder, is ensured.
The transponder can also be arranged within a polymer matrix which, for example, is arranged laterally on the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and/or let into the structure of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, that is to say for example is surrounded on all sides by the rubber layer, so that optimum protection for the memory device, configured as a transponder, is ensured.
The transponder can also be placed on the support sleeve or let into or embedded in the support sleeve, the support sleeve here consisting of polymers or composite materials, for example fibrous composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CRP).
The transponder is preferably introduced or fitted in the marginal area of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and in this way can be read and also written both with a data transmission device arranged in a stationary manner in the printing machine or in the apparatus according to the invention and configured as a data reader or a data exchange device, and also by a data exchange device designed as a hand-held device.
The marginal area is more suitable than the remaining locations on the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, in particular the rubber layer, since no pressure occurs here and, in this way, the transponder is not so highly stressed mechanically as a result of external influences. However, the use in the marginal area is not absolutely necessary.
It is advantageous that the memory device arranged in the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve causes neither any widening of the outer side nor any widening of the inner side of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve therefore being configured so as to be free of elevations so that the precision of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve with regard to its handleability and also with regard to the printed image that can be achieved is not impaired.
It is significant that, both in all printing units of a printing machine and in the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, a stationary data reader or data exchange device is operated, and these data readers or data exchange devices are connected to the central machine control system or to a computing and memory unit, as a result of which, for each printing machine and the respective apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, the management both of these rubber-covered cylinder sleeves and of the information and characteristic data identifying these rubber-covered cylinder sleeves is then made easier.
It is significant that, by means of the memory devices used, the characteristic data about a rubber-covered cylinder sleeve can be detected and updated satisfactorily at any time.
This therefore permits the spontaneous calling of and access to all the data which are important for a production sequence and refer to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, such as characteristic data, operating data and printing machine data.
It is significant that, by means of the memory devices used on the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, the identity, for example in the form of an identity number stored on the memory device, and/or characteristic data about the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve can be detected satisfactorily at any time.
This therefore permits the spontaneous calling of and access to all the information and data which are important for a production sequence and refer to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, in particular characteristic data, it being possible for the data stored in the memory devices and identifying the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve to be updated continuously during the production sequence by the printing works, for example from the calculations by the computing and memory devices, the control station or the central computer of the printing machine.
Furthermore, by means of the interaction of the memory device in the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and the memory device of the apparatus according to the invention, advantages also result in the stock-keeping and manufacture of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, since each rubber-covered cylinder sleeve continuously carries with it its xe2x80x9cpassportxe2x80x9d defined by the characteristic data, and these characteristic data are updated continuously in the memory device of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve during printing use.
In addition, by means of the interaction of the memory device in the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and the memory device of the apparatus according to the invention, advantages result in the stock-keeping and manufacture of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, since each rubber-covered cylinder sleeve continuously carries with it its xe2x80x9cpassportxe2x80x9d defined by the characteristic data, and these characteristic data are updated continuously in the computing and memory devices of the rotary printing machine and in the computing and memory device of the storage apparatus during the printing use of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
The information and characteristic data at all times support the handling and the management of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve in the area of logistics, for example in the goods inward area and in stock-keeping, in the area of the use of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, for example the selection or determining the use of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve for specific production and production capability, and in the areas of the analysis of the service life of a rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and release of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve for disposal.
It should be mentioned that, by means of the information and characteristic data stored in the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, ordering can be initiated in an automated way, if required, via the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves to be managed.
During the entire service life of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve, the memory device arranged in the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve supplies to the storage apparatus the necessary information for the optimum utilization of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves to be managed and to be provided for print jobs, and perfectly fulfils both the requirement to provide data for data to be read, and the requirement for data exchange and data storage without impairment of the print quality.
It is significant that cost savings are made possible, in that faults during the printing are avoided, and therefore an increase and improvement in the print quality are achieved. Going beyond this cost saving, an increase in the useful life of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves is also achieved via the automation of the storage and provision of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, as a result of which in turn further cost savings can be realized.
It is worth mentioning that, by means of the system, costs, in particular personnel costs, are saved, since it is no longer the printer operating the printing machine but the storage apparatus which searches for and provides a rubber-covered cylinder sleeve suitable for the respective print job, in an automated manner.
By means of the system according to the invention, in interaction with the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, the printing machine and the central machine control system, statements can be made about the service life and the quality of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves.
Furthermore, it is advantageous that, via the aforementioned information and characteristic data flowing into the machine control system and/or into the memory device of the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, statistics about the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves managed or in printing operation can be compiled. By means of these statistics, the probable failure of the respective rubber-covered cylinder sleeve can be calculated in terms of time, as a result of which, considered overall, an increase in the useful life of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves can be achieved.
It is advantageous that the printer operating the printing machine is not hampered in the production process by the automated data processing and the automated data exchange via the memory device arranged in the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
It is advantageous that the printer operating the printing machine is not hampered in the production process by the automated data processing and the automated data exchange between the computing and memory devices of the overall rotary printing machine system and the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves.
The apparatus according to the invention is intended not to be restricted just to the use in the case of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves with a memory device. The apparatus can also be used for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves which have their description and/or characteristic data burned in on the inner side or any other type of labelling or identification, for example in the form of a bar code, which is arranged on the surface or on one of the ends of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
For this purpose, specific data readers matched to the respective identifier are used to read the data out.
If identifiers are used which cannot be read or detected by any mechanical data reader and/or data exchange device, then input devices are arranged on respective printing units and on the apparatus. Using the input devices, the printer intended to operate the printing machine can manually enter the identifier applied to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
As a result, there is the possibility that the apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves can also be used for rubber-covered cylinder sleeves which are not yet identified in any form. Thus, the advantages of the apparatus can be applied and utilized even in the case of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves not yet identified in any form.
The apparatus according to the invention provides intelligent storage of rubber-covered cylinder sleeves which by including both the interface for manufacturing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves and the interface of the use of the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve permits statistics relating to the time-related determination of the failure of the respective rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
Special mention should be made of the fact that the computing and/or memory device of the storage apparatus is equipped with an interface which can be tapped into from an external location, it being possible, via this interface, for characteristic data and information about the respective rubber-covered cylinder sleeve and the data and information about the production sequence, the conditions of use and process data about the respective printing machine and/or the respective printing unit to be called up from an external location, and for new data and information to be transmitted.
Thus, the data, for example manufacturing data and information produced individually during the manufacture, about a new rubber-covered cylinder sleeve can be transmitted from the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve manufacturer, via the externally accessible interface, into the computing and/or memory device of the storage apparatus, and stored there.
For the rubber-covered cylinder manufacturer and the printing machine manufacturer, the externally accessible interface results in the advantage that the data and information to be stored and managed in the computer and/or memory device of the storage apparatus, relating to the rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, the production data and the machine data, provide the respective manufacturer with conclusions about the quality, about possible or real causes of failure and about the behavior in production use of his products.
On the basis of these data and information transmitted to him the manufacturer is thus in a position to carry out quality improvements on the printing machine, the printing unit or the rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
The manufacturer can set up a central database, the information and characteristic data stored and managed in the database being called up continuously, by means of the interface externally accessible to the manufacturer, via the aforementioned data stored and saved at the customers in the computing and memory devices of the individual apparatus for storing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves, and therefore the database contents consisting of these data being continually updated.
An apparatus of this type can also be referred to as a sleeve management system or printing sleeve management system or rubber-covered cylinder sleeve management system.
The invention also relates to a method of managing rubber-covered cylinder sleeves for a printing machine, according to which it is made easy to find an identified rubber-covered cylinder sleeve.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.